Super Bowl Preview: Bengals Offense/Rams Defense

longtime NFL general manager, guys diving into the tape. You know, we have to do these kind of survey shows each week, right like we're picking out the three or four or five best games of the week to talk about. And for this show, we actually have one game, one matchup to dive as deep as we possibly can. To me, this is like the dream week for this podcast to pick your brains about. This matchup is uh is as fun as it gets. Here's what we're gonna do today's episode.

We're gonna look Bengals offense, Rams defense that side of the ball. Then the episode that will drop on Thursday will fly to the other side and then get some predictions. So we're gonna talk Rams offense, Bengals defense with the matchup perspective on Thursday. But let's start with I think the more interesting side of the ball, and that is we've been waiting all season as if some shoe was finally going to drop with this Bengals offense. Would they

not be able to protect Joe Burrow? Would he get so beat up and not be able to get the ball out? Would someone be able to thwart all of these weapons that the Bengals have with respect to their offensive line of protection not being very good. And we've now arrived at the Super Bowl and Dan, it still hasn't happened. Is there a reason to believe in this game?

Let's talk about that matchup. First, Ram pass rush, Ram defensive line, Bengals offensive line that they can get to Joe Burrow, maybe not even with numbers, to the point that they can cover up all these weapons that the Bengals have. Yeah, I think this is the game that we see that. I think this is the greatest challenge of this season for Joe Burrow in that offense of line, and Bob, I think it's attached to the back end

of the Rams. You know, there's two reasons why I look at this matchup, and and it favors the Rams heavily. Number one, they're gonna play their too high safety shell, cover four, cover two, cover six, zone coverage, you know, where they're not gonna give many one on one matchups. And so, you know, for people listening from a quarterback's perspective, when we get man to man coverage, man to man across the board, there's one safety in the middle field

more often than not, that's easy for us. Hey, where's my guy versus the guy that I don't think he's very good. It's recess all over again. Let me throw it to my guy because he's better. When we have to play against zone coverages, it's harder because we have to think and we have to try to move people, and the guy that I'm anticipating throwing two might not be open, you know, and so we we have to

constantly be thinking. And I think that's the challenges. You're not gonna get a lot of your man coverage, and Joe is gonna have seven sets, you know, at least six sets of eyeballs on him on a consistent basis. And then you pair that with the past rush that that's gonna get home and I think the difference between and this is in respect to the Raiders pass rush, the Tennessee pass rush, and the Kansas City pass rush.

Those are all very good pass rushes. The differences the Rams are so athletic, and I would say that, you know, those pass rushes they did beat the offensive line, they just in moments couldn't get to Joe because he is

so good at evading that. And I think the difference between the Rams and those is is the athleticism that those individual players have knowing I got zone coverage behind me, quarterback is gonna have to hold it for a blinker two and then that athleticism of a guy like Letter Floyd is crazy athletic, and um Von Miller crazy athletic, and Aaron Donald. So I think their their ability to kind of chase Joe down in in in small and short spaces be just as good, if not better than him.

I think that's the big difference this this defensive line has over the other three that Joe has played. Yeah, and you know it. This is It's funny because going into the Chiefs game, I think I really thought that the Chiefs front was going to get to Burrow a lot more I mean the week before Tennessee had sacked him nine times. I think they hit him another five or six times, and I thought the wheels were going

to come off. And credit to the Bengals coaching staff again, it wasn't so much that the Chiefs weren't getting pressure right like, just like Dan said, they were getting pressure. There were mismatches, but it was a combination of Joe Burrow knowing that he better get rid of the ball quickly and the game plan and the choices that they made and the choices that they told Joe Burrow to make, and that helped them. And they're gonna have to do that again this week because you know, again he checked

it down to mixing. They ran a few more draws, they ran a few more screens. But the difference here is, as you mentioned, the speed and the athleticism of the Rams defense. They may do some of those checkdowns, they may go short, they may go sideways, they are going to do some things. But the ability for von Miller to turn and run, for Floyd to turn and run,

They're they're fast football team. I think the other thing is gonna be pretty interesting in this and I can't believe we're saying this or I'm saying this is Eric Wettele. You know, Wettell played and make made plays close to the line of scrimmage, and it reminds me, you know, he's clearly not the athletes that he was. He's he retired for two years or whatever he did for two years. It reminds me when we had safeties like Rodney Harrison near the end. And I'm not comparing the two players.

I'm saying how we use those players. And you've got a safety and you go to not only Nickel, but you go to Dime. And they're gonna probably do that because the matchups of personnel groupings that the Bengals are going to use, and they'll take that one extra safety and play him like a linebacker, which gives them more speed at the linebacker and they can cover the short and intermediate things better and more differently. So I think

that they're going to try to do those things. But again, overall, the Chiefs offense clearly one of the fast and the league. Their defense, um, I just don't think they have the defensive speed that the Rams do, and so they're gonna have to attack things a little bit differently. I believe you know you brought up something. I also think the big part is the screen game, Scott. You know, if if we just look at the two teams independently, the Bengals have become a good screen team. They and they

they're multifaceted. They've got the ability to kick perimeter screens out there. Sometimes it's one step to a guy like a Jamaar Chase, let's go get the yardage. Or they're they're kind of traditional quick hitting screen that they ran to p Ryan for a huge touchdown two weeks ago, or the cross action play action screens that have been a big part of their offense. So individually, they're a

good offensive screen team. And then if you look at the Rams, they struggle defending the screen passes, mainly the perimeter ones. I mean San Francisco that that's that's how they scored against them early on in that game. And I think that if if you're the Bengals and you're asking yourself that question, well, how do we handle this defensive front? Okay, we gotta get the ball out quickly, we gotta run the football, we gotta move the quarterback.

Screens will be a part of that as well, plaze to a strength of theirs, and you gotta make the Ramps defensively show that they can do it. And and I think the multitude of screens that they I would be shocked guys if they if the Bengals didn't throw at least I mean at least five screens in this

football game at least, and I agree with that. The other thing is gonna be interesting is when C. J Usama went down uh in the Chiefs game, I thought to myself, oh no, this is going to be a problem for the Bengals, and it wasn't as much of a problem as I thought it was going to be. I think it's gonna be interesting to see how he comes along this week and what version that they're going to have, because the importance of him to Joe Burrow

and that offense is critical. But so I think if they have to go a game sixty minutes without him or without him being game planned importantly, because again, he's not a ninety catch guy. But you know, I keep repeating it every week. You know, forty nine catches, but more than half of those were touchdowns and or first downs, and that shows you how important he's a player. That

they're going to need. If those three receivers are able to be schemed in a way, where is there a way for them to cover up the fact that Usama is not there, maybe adding some protection and just given those three receivers an extra beat. Um is his absence in the screen game gonna be if he's not able to play as much of a factor as we probably believe. Yeah, I think the so here here's the challenge, Bob, when

you do a little bit more protection. I mean if if if I've got to add in protection because Uzam is not there, I'm taking numbers away from numbers. You know, if if you're gonna be covering six and I'm only three out, in my concept that is, that's not good for me. If if you're gonna be covering seven and I've got three or four him, that's not good for me.

You know, the Bengals actually want to play spread out, empty football, and I think that's a huge you know, part of how this game goes is how the Rams defended defensively. I think the question becomes what do the Rams do with Jalen Ramsey? You know, are are they going to travel Jalen Ramsey everywhere Jamaar Chase goes, whether it's a man or his own coverage. And then the subsequent steps are, well, what do you do if you're traveling Jalen Ramsey and I motioned Jamaar, I start him

on the right and I go to the left. Does Jalen follow him? Does he not follow him? So you're you're trying to find these matchups that you can attack. Well, if you follow someone, maybe I'll work away, you know, Higgins and Boyd and what happens if I line him

up in the backfield and I motion them out? So it's it's that when that's that game, that information in in that kind of calling the right stuff at the right time, that is going to be more prevalent than I think, you know, trying to do protection if Uzama

not able to play. See, that was gonna be my next question, and we're gonna take a quick time out and come back on the other side of a fast break to build off of that question, I think, because I think that might be the most interesting schematic decision that the Rams have to make defensively. We're gonna talk about that. We come back on tap. Its Welcome back

to tape. Its Boba Shoes and Dani or Lobsky, Scott Pioli and Dan going into the break, I think asked one of the most interesting questions in a way schematically about this game, and that is, let's take this from the Rams defensive perspective. Now, Jalen Ramsey his ability level, he could be the X factor in any game plan. Right, you can maybe x somebody out by making him a

matchup player. Would you do that? Would you try and hide your other guys and maybe play some zone or would you make Jalen Ramsey a match up specific man to man kind of Darrell Reevus go follow Jamaar Chase type of a corner in this game, I would match him up versus Jamar Chase, but not necessarily calling man. You know, I think that teams and and we've played against teams, and I've played against teams that matched the corner no matter where the receiver goes, and they're still

playing their zones. And the benefit for the Rams is that they've had two weeks to prepare for this, They've had two weeks to handle the communication aspect, and you know there's checks upon checks upon checks. If I were the Rams defensively. And I'm speaking from an offensive player's or an offensive kind of viewpoint. If I were the Cincinnati Bengals, that's what I would expect, and if they didn't do it, I would saying thank you, thank you.

So I would be expecting that Jalen Ramsey should follow Jamaar Chase around for plus of this football game. But it doesn't necessarily mean that I'm going to get man coverage. And so I just the way that Jalen can match up, the physicality, the athleticism, the ball skills as well, the ball skills when it's in the air is a big part of this conversation as well. So yeah, I would anticipate that, and if they don't know, that would be a very confusing thing for me, you know, the morning after. Yeah,

I would recommend it. And I agree with you, Dan, and I think that's sometimes you bring up a really good point that that I think those you know that that watch tape and and and have been so close to it is just because someone's matched up doesn't mean that it's man coverage. And to me, Jamaar Chase is I think they could have tryed to force Jamar Chase. I think the young quarterback will try to force Jamar

Chase a little bit. That being said, to put Jalen Ramsey on him, who is not only so good, but so incredibly smart and thoughtful and can bait people and do things. I think it would be it would be wise for the Rams to do that and do it exactly like you said, don't make it all man, don't. It doesn't have to be pressed, it doesn't have to be close um disguise it sometimes too. And I think that they can do that, and I think maybe even near the end of the half, right because there will

be some talk in the half during a halftime. I mean, teams are just by the second series, but they'll be a more extended conversation during the halftime because it is

a long halftime. Maybe do a couple of things if you're the Rams at the end of the half, if Cincinnati's on the field, to get in their heads a little bit and make them think that they don't know what's coming in the third quarter, indoor second half, and something else I think really interesting in this game, and in both of these segments, we haven't even touched on it yet, but Scott, you've been beating the drum for Jill Nixon all season, the role that you know he

needs to play for this offense in order for them to be at their best. We've talked about the screen game. We've talked about Jamaar Chase. We've talked about whether or not it's gonna be Manner Zone on the back side, maybe a combination of both. We've talked about Higgins and Boyd as those second and the effect that Usama maybe

not being in this game could have. But in the a f C Championship game, it seemed like even if it was just used to keep Kansas City honest, because the bread and butter of the Bengals obviously is Joe Burrow's right arm and all these weapons, whenever they needed just a six yard run, a seven yard run, a ten yard run. At times with Mixon, he seemed key moments in that game to pop a little run just when their offense needed it, and it kind of keep Kansas City honest. Do they have to have that in

this game? Does there have to be a legit element for the Bengals offense got of them running the football with Mixon to make sure that what else they want to do Schematically offense is there. I think that that you always have to run to keep a team honest, but I think it's more important that they find a way to get the ball into Joe's hands again, whether it's a you know, it's a run, whether it's a draw, which is a run, but it's a different kind of

run um. But also again the short and sideways screens, you know, check downs. Because here's the other thing we've learned about Joe Mixon over the course of this season. When Joe Mixon is doing well, he is a motivator for that football team. The team and the offense rally around for him for some reason. I don't know anything about their locker room dynamic, but you can tell on the field when you're watching the team respond and react how they feel about Joe Mixon and the energy that

he brings. It's different, you know, to make a Bengals comparison, it's different, but similar to Ikey Woods back in the day, right when Ikey had the ball, that team reacted differently. And I think that there's something to be said about about that, and and and I think part of it also is the style in which Joe Mixon runs when he has the ball in his hands. Um, he brings a different level of of intensity and a mentality, So I think it, Bob. Yes, the couple of answers to

the to the question. I know it's one question, but a couple of answers. Yes, they need to run the ball with him, you know, in the traditional sense. Yes, they need to get the ball in his hands on a draw to keep the pass rush honest. But again screens and sideways throws to get that team on the running. Because here's what we know about the Rams defense. Who they are gonna run. They're gonna run fast, They're gonna run hard. Maybe getting them a little bit tired. We

know that they used their wave. But getting some of those big guys like Gains, who's gonna go a thousand miles an hour, Greg talking about Greg Gains, getting those guys running sideways and getting them a little bit tired early might be an important thing and another good reason to get the ball in Joe Mixon's hands. Yeah. I think that the Bengals have to have their outside zone going something. You just have to because that's there. It's

their predominant run scheme. I mean, they they're not gonna come into this game go. You know, we're gonna do a little bit of you know, we're gonna major encounter. They might do a trap here there, but that's who they are. That's their bread and bread and butter. Brian Callaghan is Bill Callahan's son. Bill Callahan is one of the best outside zone run game coaches ever. Zach Taylor comes from the Shanahan tree, the McVeigh tree. So that's

who they are. And I think if they're gonna watch some tree, can we stop getting again no offense to Sean, but you're right, it's the Shanahan Tree. Yeah, no doubt, no doubt, um. And I think if they're gonna help their offensive line a little bit and try to keep this this Rams defensive line from you know, or or forced them to play two sided football run and or passed, then they're going to have to be really good and there. Now,

the good thing is they're good at it. They're they're not you know, they're not a team that you know we saw like the Browns b or the Packers have been, but they're good at it. And I think the thing that we could say about Zach Taylor and Scott you could probably speak to this as well, because I saw a couple of people in the a f C Championship game getting frustrated with it. He's going to call it,

and he's gonna run it. It's it's He is going to be consistent and committed to it because he knows if he gets into a drop back game and tries to throw it forty plus times, it's night night. And does that equals some longer second downs? Yeah? And does it equals some longer third and downs? Yes, But at least it gives them a chance to get into those situations. And I think that we will see the consistency of it. And I say this all time about the zone scheme.

If I'm gonna call it twenty times a game and you're right on sixteen of them, awesome. If you're wrong or three and four, I win. And because I'm gonna cut you for fifteen to twenty yards on all of those, and that's that's the commitment to be consistent in calling it will be a big part of this game. The last thing I want to circle back on is kind of where we started, but we got right to the

past game. It is the offensive line for the Bengals at his past protection, and I think a combination question that I have for you guys coming off of both championship games, because Dan, you said you thought Burrow in the championship game against the Chiefs played the most Tom Brady like game that you had seen him play this year in a year where he had a lot of really great offensive number games. And going back to the

NFC Championship game, defense stibly for the Rams. They didn't rush three too often that I remember, but they also didn't rush more than five against Tom Brady too often that I remember, and they had the worths, you know, not being there obviously that was a big advantage. And this is an offensive line that you think they probably could get home against a somewhat stationary quarterback with only four at times five maybe not having to bring six.

But they also had a pretty effective three man rush at times at different points this season. So how do you play this against Joe Burrow if you're the Rams? Is this an all four or five man rush game? With Floyd You're not blitzing them, But are you ever rushing three and dropping eight? Like? Do is there ever

the need to do that? Because they never did that, it seemed against Brady to me that at times against the guy like Tom Brady, that's death if you only rush three and give him a lot of time back there. So how do you play that? I don't anticipate them doing because here's the thing. I always look at it like this, and this isn't specifically for just a d I want my eleven best on the field, Like, why would I take one of those past rushers and not

allow him to pass rush? You know, Aaron's rushing, Leonard's rushing, Vaughan's right now. Now, the thing I will say this something that they have done a lot of in the last three weeks. Bob is taking their middle linebacker number fifty one, Troy Reader and blitzing him and dropping one of those guys. Now, it's still a four man rush. It has the presence of a five man rush, but it's still a four So I can see a little

bit of that. But if I'm the Rams defensively, I'm going, hey, if we get into you know, ten third down in five plus situations, and I want those four cats rushing as much as they can, and that's in those situations to get number nine, that quarterback off of the field all right there and That was the best example that was at play when the Cardinals were backed up and faked, you know, running the game up front, and they dropped Aaron Donald into coverage, which I don't know why you

would drop Aaron Donald in the coverage and then they brought Reader off the back side and it worked, But I guess that's why you would do it. But gosh, I would want Aaron Donald running forward as much as possible. Well, it's gonna be fascinating, obviously to see if there is a defense that can finally solve Joe Burrow or if he has a way behind an offensive line that all of us know isn't the best past protection offensive line

in the NFL. If they can survive one more week and have it be a Lombardi Trophy hoisting uh end to the season. It's it's amazing that we're in this spot with Joe Burrow as good as he's been all year, and that for this episode of tapeds is the way we will look at the Bengals have of the ball against that ram defense. But when our next episode drops

on Thursday, we're flipping it around. How does the Bengal defense slow down Odell Cooper cup Matthew Stafford and the Rams offense because this is Matthew Stafford's opportunity to enter immortality. So hopefully you will join us for our next episode when we go to the other side of the football. When we dropped Thursday's episode previewing the Super Bowl on tape, its